Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 Draft Recap

In the months leading up to the 2023 NFL draft, Omar Khan shined in his first offseason as the Pittsburgh Steelers general manager, making big moves like the signings of veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson and standout guard Isaac Seumalo. Khan continued this great success in the draft, hitting almost every positional need while getting great value. Let’s take a look at each of the Steelers 2023 draft picks and how they will benefit the team going forward.

Round 1 Pick 14: Broderick Jones, OT Georgia

Heading into the draft, arguably the Steelers biggest need was a true left tackle. About a year ago, they extended right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor, and Pittsburgh spent this previous offseason bolstering the interior of the offensive line. This left the left tackle spot as the last remaining piece that the Steelers needed to upgrade in order to provide solid protection for second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett. When it came to the 14th pick and Georgia’s Broderick Jones was still on the board, Khan and the Steelers just couldn’t pass on the opportunity to draft the six-foot-five 311 pound behemoth of a man. This triggered them to trade up with the New England Patriots, giving up their 17th overall selection along with an extra fourth rounder. The trade will prove to be well worth it, as Jones provides a great balance of size and quickness, running a 4.97 40-yard dash with a 1.67 10-yard split while weighing over 300 pounds. Jones will come in and have the opportunity to become a day one starter in Pittsburgh, as his only competition will be the third year man Dan Moore Jr.. Overall, selecting one of the top offensive tackles in the draft was exactly what the Steelers needed, so trading up to take the Georgia product in the mid-first was a great move by Khan and the Steelers.

Round 2 Pick 32: Joey Porter Jr., CB Penn State

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Now isn’t this a story, Joey Porter Jr. is heading to the exact place where his dad played and won a super bowl. On top of this, the Steelers second biggest need behind left tackle was cornerback, so right off the bat this selection looks amazing. Before the draft, the Steelers cornerback room included Ahkello Witherspoon, James Pierre, Levi Wallace, and the recently signed veteran Patrick Peterson. The Steelers had just lost Cameron Sutton in free agency to the Lions, and aside from Peterson, the remaining players have not proven to be spectacular. With this in mind, many believed it was necessary for Pittsburgh to add a corner in the draft. When the second round rolled around and Porter was still on the board, the opportunity was just too good to pass up. Many considered him one of the best defensive backs in the draft, and many analysts were shocked to see him fall this far. This gives this pick tremendous value, making the Steelers draft look all the much better. And with the recent release of Witherspoon, Porter Jr. will have a real chance to come in and become a day one starter. In the end, the addition of the six-foot-two rookie out of Penn State gives the Steelers a potential stud at the corner position, possibly solidifying a position they have been unable to maintain consistent success at for years.

Round 2 Pick 49: Keanu Benton, DT Wisconsin

Along with corner and offensive tackle, another position the Steelers needed to address coming into the draft was depth across the defensive line. They covered this with their second second round selection, taking Wisconsin defensive tackle Keanu Benton 49th overall. Benton is not an amazing defensive tackle that can come in and start right away, but he is solid enough to provide some well needed depth and get in the pass-rushing rotation. Benton put up 4.5 sacks, 36 tackles, and 10 tackles for loss this previous season at Wisconsin, which are impressive numbers for an interior defensive lineman. If he can keep up that production while playing nose tackle in a rotational role for Pittsburgh, he will see his role expand as he becomes a more integral part of the Steelers’ defense. Overall, adding Benton was vital for Pittsburgh to provide a complementary piece to the rest of their defensive line, which includes studs like Cameron Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi.

Round 3 Pick 93: Darnell Washington, TE Georgia

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In the third round, Pittsburgh took their second Georgia player of the draft in tight end Darnell Washington. While depth at the tight end position wasn’t exactly a dire need for Pittsburgh, adding an elite red zone threat with tremendous blocking ability will not hurt at all. After addressing their first three primary needs with their first three selections, Pittsburgh was able to transition to taking the best available player here in the third. The six-foot-seven 264 pound tight end was viewed very highly by many scouts, with some even having him going in the first round. This is mainly due to his freak athleticism for his size, so even though he may not be proven now, there is so much room for him to grow. With the Steelers already having Pat Freiermuth, Washington will be placed into the secondary tight end role, where he should shine. He can be on the field in run situations and provide an extension of the offensive line, hence his Instagram nickname: “The Six Lineman.” He can also come into the game on short yardage or goal line scenarios, where he can use his big size to outmuscle defenders on goal line fades or underneath flat routes where he can fight his way forward for a few yards. All in all, although a backup tight end was not a dire need for Pittsburgh, drafting a freak athlete with amazing size in the third round will prove to be a successful move for Omar Khan and the Steelers.

Round 4 Pick 132: Nick Herbig, LB Wisconsin

The Steelers continued their trend of having brothers on the team by selecting Nick Herbig, the brother of Nate Herbig, an offensive guard whom they signed earlier this offseason. This selection provides Pittsburgh with some much needed depth on the edge. The starters at the outside linebacker position are set with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, but similarly to how they handle the defensive line, the Steelers have always liked to rotate edge players throughout the course of a game. This is why it was necessary for them to add depth along the defensive line, which they did earlier in this draft with the selection of Keanu Benton in the second round. After taking care of that and other needs, the Steelers found themselves in a position to take either best available or add depth to those positions in need. They already took best available in the third with Darnell Washington, so when the fourth round rolled around they were able to focus on improving their depth at other positions, specifically the edge. They took the six-foot-two 227 pound outside linebacker out of Wisconsin to do just that. In 2022, Herbig put up 47 total tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks. This type of production is what motivated Pittsburgh to draft Herbig, as he proved he can be effective off the edge. The Steelers are hoping he can come in to fill that rotational role, by checking in each game and putting in quality reps while Highsmith and Watt get the rest they need in between plays. In conclusion, Herbig provides some good depth at the edge position and has proven to be productive at the college level, so Pittsburgh is just hoping he can carry that over into a rotational role at the pro level.

Round 7 Pick 241: Cory Trice, CB Purdue

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The later rounds of the draft are typically used to take players that can come into camp and compete for the lower spots on the depth chart. With this in mind, the Steelers decided to take yet another corner to see if they could possibly get some solid value late in the draft. They took Purdue’s Cory Trice, a solid player in a deep cornerback class. Trice will not come in and start right away, but he has the possibility to make the roster and provide good depth for Pittsburgh. Many considered Trice’s value to be better than that of a seventh rounder, so this pick was good value for Pittsburgh. Now they just have to hope the six-foot-three 215 pound corner can come in and compete for a roster spot. Overall, taking Trice gives the Steelers the opportunity to have some solid depth at corner with really no risk if he doesn’t work out, which is usually the case with most late round picks.

Round 7 Pick 251: Spencer Anderson, OL Maryland

Similar to their previous seventh round pick, this pick again was used on a position they have already addressed just for the possibility of adding more depth to their roster. Pittsburgh selected Spencer Anderson out of Maryland, who played twelve games at guard and one at tackle this previous season. The six-foot-five 320 pound offensive lineman provides some good depth and versatility on the offensive line, and he will have the chance to come into camp and compete for a spot at the end of the roster. Anderson won’t have tremendous playing time or make a huge impact for Pittsburgh, but he can come in and provide some good depth given that he makes the roster by the time final cuts roll around. All in all, this is just another no risk pick, so adding an offensive lineman late in the seventh for depth can only possibly benefit the Steelers.

Overall, the 2023 NFL draft was a huge success for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Omar Khan was able to build off his amazing free agency by addressing positional needs such as offensive tackle, cornerback, and defensive line depth while also improving his roster by extending the tight end and outside linebacker depth. Each of these players will have the chance to compete and have an important spot on the roster. Whether that be just providing good depth and possibly rotating in for a few quality reps each game, or even making an impact right away and being a solidified starter for years to come. This Steelers draft class has the potential to be one of their best in recent memory, as each player has the opportunity to make a big impact for the team. In conclusion, Khan has done an excellent job in his first offseason as the Steelers general manager, and this draft is just a continuation of his amazing success.

(Cover image via: Mark J. Rebilas, USA Today Sports)